Thank You for Helping with the Museum…
Board Officers
Len Sendelsky, Chair
Dr. Paul Israel, Vice-Chair
 Architect Alice Deupree of LWDMR & Associates, Exhibit Designer Daniel Schnur,
Phonograph Repairer Michael Devecka, Graphic Artist William Kobasz , and Carpenter
Phil Birnbaum.
 Monika Thornton, Kate Reilly Lund, Rajani Kanukollu, Brenda Rinaldi and Swathy
John Zemkoski, Treasurer
Margaret Inglese, Secretary
Ex Officio Trustees
Bansal for their assistance in organizing EMTC’s June 9, 2012 Museum Grand Reopening Celebration.
Light News
Antonia Ricigliano,
Edison Mayor
Dr. Richard J. O’Malley, Ed.D.
Edison Memorial Tower Corporation
Fall, 2012
Edison Supt. of Schools
Trustees
Russell Gehrum
Museum at the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park Re-opens
Dr. Robert Ianniello
Robert Karabinchak
Ted Latham
Joseph Lombardi, Esq.
Eagle Scout Ryan SeesselTerra Nova Garden Club workberg and assistants in front
ing on their ongoing site
of his new bench and land- Eagle Scout Rahi Nigam’s
beautification efforts.
trail rejuvenation project,
scaped area.
including tree signage.
 Middlesex County’s Labor Assistance Program, Goldman Sachs, and CDM Smith for
Len Mesonas
Hon. Richard Plechner
Satish V. Poondi, Esq.
Charles Tomaro
Staff
their site clean-up efforts.
Kathleen Carlucci,
 Museum volunteers Margaret Gehrum, Elaine “Dixie” Hirner, Bruce Friedman, Charles
Director of Interpretation
Marylyn Burylo,
“Chuck” Perillo, and J.P. Stevens High School students Julia Zou, Emily Cai, Amy
Huang, and Jessica Francis.
Administrative Assistant
Welcome New and Renewing EMTC Members
As support from our members is vital, we thank the following new and renewing members:
BENEFACTORS
Roy Lee Jr.,
Solutions Learning
John and Jean Mayes
Lynne Mueller*
SPONSORS
Robert Ianniello, Ph.D.
Margaret Inglese
Martin Jessen
Len Sendelsky
PATRONS
Marnie Jeney
Jonathan and Katherine Liss*
Jan Margolis
Valerie Montecalvo
Eve and Beth Nartowicz
Audrey Noyes
Gokul Singaraju
Barbara Westergaard
John Zemkoski
Alice Fleming
Fords Jewelers
Harlin Hong*
* New Member
Edison Memorial Tower Corporation
PO Box 656
Edison, NJ 08818-0656
FAMILY
Mary Ann Avola
Mitchell and Norma Erceg
Henry Frank
Martin Goldman
Bob Hamlet
Robert and Jean Hyde
Salvatore Pizzi
Edith Polansky
David Wilson
Frederick and Lois Wolke
ACTIVE
Dr. William Ainslie
Patricia Amyx*
Carmella D’Amata
Louis Kuhn*
James and Karen McNamara
Elaine Miller
David Pasmanik
Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Paterniti
Joseph Robinson
Joseph Russo
Bing Shen
Peter and Doris Shia
Jeffrey Thompson
Jane Tousman
Fred Maier
Laura Walshin
The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, located at 37 Christie Street,
Edison, NJ, is jointly administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Parks and Forestry, the Township of
Edison, and the non-profit Edison Memorial Tower Corporation (EMTC).
Tel: 732-494-4194
E-mail: [email protected]
www.menloparkmuseum.org
On Saturday, June 9, 2012, over 300 people joined the EMTC, the
Township of Edison, and the NJ DEP to celebrate the museum’s reopening after a two-year renovation and development of all new interpretive exhibits. The renovation project, the first major project
since the building’s construction in the early 1940s, included upgrades to the building’s mechanical systems, new roof, overall repairs and re-painting, and—most important of all—provisions for
persons with handicaps in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new interpretive exhibits—the first professionally
developed comprehensive exhibits in the museum’s history—
broaden the scope of the museum’s interpretation to include all aspects of the site’s history, both Thomas Edison’s amazing accomplishments and the twentieth century efforts to commemorate Edison and his Menlo Park
laboratory.
What can you learn by going to Menlo Park? You can learn why the site has
attracted people for over 130 years. In the 1870s, people flocked to Menlo
Park first to see Edison’s amazing new device to record the human voice and
a year later for a spectacular New Year’s Eve lighting of Christie Street.
Long after Edison left Menlo Park and the buildings fell into disrepair (and,
no, Henry Ford didn’t take them all out to Michigan—but, you’ll learn about
that too!), people continued to come to Menlo Park. In the twentieth century, Edison’s followers (the “Edison Pioneers”) started a tradition of commemorating the site, culminating in the beautiful Art Deco Edison Memorial
Tower. Most important, perhaps, is that you’ll learn that Menlo Park isn’t
just about what Edison invented, but how he invented. While at Menlo Park, Edison developed the world’s
first industrial research and development laboratory.
Located at 37 Christie Street, Edison, NJ, the museum is open Thursday–Saturday 10:00am – 4:00pm; there is a suggested donation of
$5.00 per person to help with costs. Private group tours can be arranged for days when the museum is closed by calling 732-494-4194.
For more info, see www.menloparkmuseum.org. When you visit the
museum, make sure to sign up for the EMTC’s electronic newsletter
and become an EMTC member so that you’ll receive notifications of
changing exhibits.
Tribute to Edison Pioneer William Carman
Tower Restoration Update
Installation of exterior scaffolding,
September 29, 2012.
Tower restoration work is underway, starting from the inside! The interior scaffolding has been erected and the design team
has been making final on-site decisions
about areas of the interior walls that need to
be repaired. Now, the exterior scaffolding
is being installed. Some of the first steps to
be undertaken include cleaning of each level of the masonry and working to develop
the appropriate panels for patching the concrete. With 13 different aggregates making
up the Tower’s exterior shell, great care
needs to be taken to ensure that any patched
concrete matches the historic material.
by Paul Israel, Ph.D., EMTC Trustee and
Director of the Edison Papers, Rutgers University
William Carman (1849-1926), a key member of Edison's office staff at the Menlo
Park laboratory, was born and died on Maple Avenue in Metuchen, New Jersey, located a short distance from Menlo Park. After William’s birth the Carmans apparently moved to Newark, where William was educated in the public schools and then
at a local business college from which he graduated in 1869. He began his career
working as a bookkeeper at the Clarke thread mill in Newark, where Charles Batchelor installed machinery in 1870 before joining Edison's Newark shop. Carman went
on to learn the pharmacy trade, working first as a clerk and then opening his own
drug store in Jersey City, which he ran until 1875. Carman likely had to give up his
store because of the economic downturn that began with the Panic of 1873.
Test patch to match the
Tower’s original black and
red stones on the buttresses
around the base of the Tower.
Shining a Light on Edison
by Ted Latham, EMTC Trustee
Board members of the “Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park” recently met with Edison
Township’s Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Richard O’Malley, to explore the possibility of
forming a partnership to develop curriculum centered on Thomas Edison’s life while he
worked at Menlo Park. “Our hopes,” according to Board President Len Sendelsky, “are to
develop a unique educational plan that inspires students to be innovative and entrepreneurial
leaders, as well as technicians, engineers and inventors, thus assuring America’s leadership in
a global economy that grows more and more dependent on technological solutions.”
The educational plan would be based on authentic learning practices where students solve real
problems through the process of invention. A research team of students would brainstorm
Dr. Richard O’Malley
potential solutions to the problem, commit to a solution and then design, build, test, modify
and finally market the designed solution to potential customers. The program can also be tied into the many local, regional and national technology performance based competitions that inspire and bring recognition to our young leaders. What’s exciting about working with the Edison Township School District is that such a plan easily fits into the
elementary schools’ thematic literacy based curriculum, where a study on the process of invention is integrated through
an emphasis on reading and introducing new age appropriate vocabulary, spelling, math, social studies and science.
The Promethean Board technology recently installed throughout the Edison system provides a way for teachers to effectively and creatively deliver all curriculum, including an invention and innovation curriculum, that uses state of the
art technology to learn about technology and its positive impact on our world.
Sendelsky further explained that the success of this partnership would yield an educational plan that would open the
door to attracting major private and public grants that encourage the development of future leaders in industry and government. “Shining a Light on Edison” was offered by Dr. O’Malley for the theme of our partnership. A “light that
will shine” both on the inspirational life of Thomas Edison, and also on the Public schools of Edison Township.
The limited evidence about Carman's early work for Thomas Edison suggests that he
began working in late 1875 as a bookkeeper in Edison’s Newark shop. By the beginning of 1876 he was also working as a purchasing agent and salesman for Edison's
electric pen. Carman's most significant work for Edison began after he joined the
Menlo Park laboratory staff. It is unclear exactly when he began working at Menlo
Park. Carman himself stated that he joined the staff in the spring of 1876 about the
time Edison opened the laboratory; however,
the earliest documents that clearly contain Carman's handwriting or mention his name date to
the spring of 1877. Over the next several years
he served as office manager for the laboratory.
Among his responsibilities were keeping the
laboratory account books, dealing with correspondence and bills regarding purchases by
Edison and the laboratory, and even making
copies of some of the laboratory notebook entries and other important technical documents,
including Edison's earliest patent caveats for
the electric light. Carman also served occasionally as Edison's secretary and even after
Edison’s Menlo Park Office
Stockton Griffin was hired as Edison's personal
secretary in May 1878, Carman continued to answer some of Edison's mail as well as
deal with correspondence with suppliers.
Carman left Edison's employ in 1882 to join his brother Charles' lumber business in
New York City. However, for several years he continued to be involved in managing Edison's insurance policies. Although Edison asked William to join the staff of
his new laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, in 1887, Carman declined because
he was dealing with his father's estate and did not want to move. After retiring from
the lumber business in 1896, Carman moved back to Menlo Park and became a member of the Middlesex County sheriff's office, which included serving a term as sheriff
from 1902–1905. Carman also served thirty years as Secretary of the Raritan Township Board of Education. Carman was married to Mary E. Brison of Newark in 1872
and the couple had four children, two sons and two daughters.
Personnel Changes
After leading the nonprofit for over six
years, EMTC President
Nancy L. Zerbe has
resigned to work on
other historic preservation projects. Under
Ms. Zerbe’s leadership,
the EMTC was successful in raising funds Nancy L. Zerbe
for the restoration of the Edison Memorial
Tower and for the renovation of the existing museum with all new exhibits. In addition, EMTC developed a complete concept plan for a larger museum and accomplished numerous administrative improvements. The EMTC Board accepted Nancy’s resignation with regret and wished her
well in her future endeavors.
EMTC welcomes Marylyn Burylo,
EMTC’s newly hired Administrative Assistant, and Historic Preservation consultant Swathy Bansal who will be assisting
with grant writing.
The Edison Memorial Tower Corporation received an operating support
grant from the New Jersey Historical
Commission, a division of the Department of State.
NOTE: EMTC appreciates the Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Rutgers
University’s Edison Papers for their information on the Edison Pioneers as well as an
exhibit grant from the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Middlesex
Board of Chosen Freeholders through a grant
provided by the New Jersey Historical Commission.
We Could Not Have Done it Without You...The EMTC thanks the MANY donors and sponsors who helped with the museum re-opening:
Premium Level Sponsors BASF Corporation; Siemens, Inc. Platinum Level Sponsors Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation; Investors Savings Bank Foundation; Charles Edison Fund Mercury Level Sponsors North American Energy Alliance
Foundation; Raritan Center Business Community; Lowell F. Johnson Foundation Gold Level Sponsors Certified Kitchens. Inc.; Robert Ianniello, Ph.D.; Sabinsa Corporation; PTC Therapeutics; Lombardi & Lombardi; Hawkeye Development
Company; Poondi Family Trust Silver Level Sponsors Investors Savings Bank; Solutions Learning, Inc.; Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc.; Hilton Woodbridge; Kaizen Technologies, Inc. Bronze Level Sponsors Custom Landscape Systems, Inc.;
John Pepi Century 21; Anthony M. Lombardi, D.M.D.; Applied Research Corporation; Sam and Margaret Inglese; Ray Catena Motor Car Corporation; LWDMR & Associates; Linda Barth; Edison-Metuchen Orthopaedic Group; KEF America,
Inc.; Sleepy Hollow Gardens; Gloria S. Batista; Edison Diner Donors of Materials and Services Home Depot; Worldwide Carpet; Best Tile; Walmart; Metuchen Inn; Villa Gennaro; Mills & Schnoering Architects, LLC; Joseph Nesi, CPA; Image-Up Studio; Terra Nova Garden Club; Michael Devecka; LaRosa; Skylark Diner; Edible Arrangements; The Pines Manor; Gardenias Floral; New Jersey American Water; Reliable Design Studio, Inc.; Raymond’s Autobody, Inc.; PSE&G; Advance Self Storage; Goldman Sachs